So we decided to go to Banff for 3 nights for some R and R.  Had a great time.  We were between seasons so there were very few people there but the weather was sunny and warm and the air magnificent.  We stayed at the Banff Springs Hotel – I hadn’t been there in about 15 years and it was about 25 years since Mizuho was there.  Delightful.  The hotel was built by the CPR about 100 years ago to attract guest from Europe and the US.  They would often stay for several months.   A nice 6 hour drive from our place, stopping in Golden on the way out and Field on the way back (highly recommend the Truffled Pig Café in Field).  A view of the front corner of the hotel (it is rather large).

A view during a stroll in the woods with Hime.

The back patio of the hotel.

Mizuho and Hime on the staircase beside the concierge.

There were lots of Elks about. We saw this one while walking Hime right beside the back patio. He was non-plussed and continued grazing after giving us a look

View from the 7th ( I believe) tee of the golf course. Shall have to give it a go the next time we are there.

Drove up to Lake Louise – nice spot.

Had a visit from my cousin the day after we got back, and then went to a neighbourhood barbeque. Both were great. Am now back working round the house.

I thought (prompted by a request by His Excellency) I would put out some photos of the house from different perspectives to mark the one year anniversary of the build. This is a view from just below the house of the back (view) of the house, in the direction of the view of Kelowna and the lake.  The heap of material to the left of the tree is the backfilling I am doing bit by bit – rock, sand and dirt.  It is about 1/3 done, and has a rock wall on the left to address the 2 meter difference in elevation.

This is a view late in the afternoon of the back of the house and shop/garage.  The area in front of the garage and shop will be left natural while the area in front of the house and between it and the garage/shop will have some shaping done.  There will be a porch off the dining room next year and some landscaping done (according to the plan/hope)

This is the least attractive view of the house, seen as you approach it coming up the driveway.  There is more texture in the green stucco than shows in the photo.  In the fullness of time, I will be making a stone wall in the area in the foreground and will fill it with dirt and plantings to bisect the two driveways.  The two propane tanks will be screened with some Japanese screens I bought many years ago.

This is a view along the back (view) of the house.  To the left (and not in the photo) is the entrance to the guest suite, to the right is the rock wall supporting the upper level in front of the living room.  Behind me will be the terrace for the guest suite.

View of the front of the house.  The property continues behind me for 300 meters and rises about 50 meters.  Mostly large trees and meadows.

View of the winery nearest to us, just down the hill. We were there a few weeks ago for a fund raiser for dogs and cats and the grapes were all on the vines, which have now turned golden and look delightful.

What a long strange trip it has been. After nine consecutive years abroad, we arrived back in Canada one year ago today, and started building the house 5 days later (the water and electricity had already been run up to the site). A voyage of discovery, learning, some frustration and loads and loads of satisfaction. Lots has been done but lots remains.

The exterior of the house is now pretty much all done, except for the front and back porches (post and beams will be prepared this winter) and the landscaping (a multi year project). Finished up the last of the window trim last week.

Much of the main floor is done but still need to build/install drawers and doors in the kitchen and two bathrooms, build cabinets for the laundry room, build two closets, build 5 doors, complete the window (90% done) / door (0%) / baseboard (10%) trim. The upstairs needs to have the fir floor installed, sanded and finished, two walls painted, window trim completed, and bookcases around the stair opening designed and built. Will also need to replace the construction stairs at some point. The downstairs needs decisions and actions on floors, walls painted, window trim completed and 6 doors built. And the stairs need to be covered in maple (currently just plywood).

We made a big push to be able to get into the house on July 1 (as our rental house lease expired then), and another to get ready for Mizuho’s mother’s visit in August, and then again in September to get some projects done before winter.  I now intend on slowing down a bit and focusing more on leisure activities.  On va voir.

Bought a cargo carrier rack for the ATV to carry the garbage bins up and down.

When Steve (Brother in law) was here last week he cut up a log to make the first of about 10 benches I intend on distributing around the property.

This is a weird-looking cauliflower that we bought at the farmer’s market. Tastes very good.

This is also from the market – a Brussels sprout stalk.

37 windows in total on the house and garage/shop.  29 have now been trimmed out with 8 left to do.  Some were done in pvc, some were done in fir painted white (3 coats).  Cannot tell the difference from 2 metres away.

Finished 7 of them yesterday, working off the roof in shorts and a t shirt (23 above :)) and am planning on doing the rest over the next few days.  Most of the main floor interior window trim has been completed.  We have started on the basement and upper windows (the returns and sills) but the walls will need to be painted before we put on the final face trim.

The bottom windows were done by the Hardie Board guys, while I did the upper ones yesterday.

I was able to peck away at the rocky bank beside the shop and create enough room for the ATV. The plan is to dig it out some more and level/pack it down before winter. Might even be a good place for the Bobcat.

Have also realized that I will not get the two porches done this fall. Coop was kind enough to put in a porch/step off the dining room which inspired me to build a front porch. This will give us a flat, cleaner and dryer entrance until we can get the cement or interlock work done next spring.  The wood leaning up against the house is fir flooring which I need to move upstairs.

Weather has been great with warm sunny days (plus 20) and much cooler nights (about 5).  The Okanagan Wine Festival starts today.  cheers.